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in "Speaking Format"
(see further below for sample of "Reading Format")
#45– A Servant Attitude
Luke 17:5-10
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you (II Corinthians 13:13).
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke:
And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
"Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
The Gospel of the Lord.
In today’s reading, there are “two important truths” . . . that are presented: . . .
First, the disciples are told that faith, the “size of a mustard seed,” . . .
. . . is all they need . . .
. . . to “move mountains.”
Then, Jesus tells them . . . that in the service of God, . . .
. . . they must “labor with selfless humility,” . . .
. . . and conduct themselves . . .
. . . with the “a servant attitude.”
(Pause)
To fully understand the first part of this story . . . it is important that . . .
. . . we review . . .
. . . the “serious conversation” . . .
. . . that Jesus has been having . . .
. . . with His disciples.
In the verses immediately before today’s lesson . . .
. . . Jesus has just told His disciples: . . .
. . . “Don’t you tempt . . .
. . . my little ones . . .
. . . to sin!”
Jesus is telling His disciples, . . . in “no uncertain terms,” . . .
. . . to take “sin” seriously, . . .
. . . especially the “sin” . . .
. . . that is likely . . .
. . . to cause someone . . .
. . . to “stumble.”
(Pause)
This is . . . a “wake-up call!”
Jesus wants to “warn them” . . . that “setting
a bad example” for “new believers”. . .
. . . might send them off . . .
. . . in the “wrong direction,” . . .
. . . because, their personal . . .
. . . “reliance upon God”
. . . has not yet . . .
. . . had time to “mature.”
He wants His disciples to understand . . . that besides themselves . . .
. . . they have “someone else” to consider . . .
. . . when they decide . . .
. . . how they are going . . .
. . . to live their lives!
So, Jesus continues His warning . . .
. . . to the disciples: . . .
“It would be better for one . . . if a “millstone” . . .
. . . were hung around his neck . . .
. . . and he were cast into the sea, . . .
. . . than for him to cause . . .
. . . one of these little ones to sin” (vs. 2)!
(Long pause)
Then, Jesus tells them: . . . “rebuke your brother if he sins against you.
“Then, if he tells you ‘he is sorry,’ . . . ‘forgive’ and keep on going . . .
. . . and repeat the cycle . . .
. . . over and over again . . .
. . . even “seven times a day” . . .
. . . as long as it takes . . .
. . . for him . . .
. . . to get it right!
This reminds us of a story in Matthew (chapter 18): . . .
“Peter approaching, asks him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, . . .
. . . how often must I forgive him . . .
. . . “as many as seven times?”
Jesus answers: . . . “I say to you, not ‘seven’ times . . .
. . . but, ‘seventy-seven’ times” (vss. 18-19)!
(Pause)
So, the apostles . . . seeing the “enormous assignment”
. . . suddenly . . .
. . . “look inside themselves”!
They quickly “evaluate themselves” . . . to see whether or not . . .
. . . they “have what it takes” . . .
. . . to obey what Jesus . . .
. . . has just asked them to do!
In “desperation,” . . .
. . . and with “great passion,” . . .
. . . they plead, . . .
. . . “Lord, increase our faith!”
(Pause)
The disciples could very well be “thinking”:
“Jesus, we have ‘examined ourselves,’ . . . and, to do the things you ask of us, . . .
. . . the kind of “strong faith and character”
. . . that we need, . . .
. . . is missing in our lives!
“We are not living the kind of life you are talking about,
. . . and we certainly don’t want to . . .
. . . have to rebuke our brother . . .
. . . just to have him come back . . .
. . . and do the same bad things . . .
. . . over and over again!
Jesus responds: . . . “If you have faith . . . the size of a ‘tiny mustard seed,’ . . .
. . . you can say to this mulberry tree: . . .
. . . ‘be uprooted,’ . . .
. . . and ‘be planted’ in the sea , . . .
. . . and, this tree will obey you!”
Jesus is saying . . . that even a small, a very small amount of faith . . .
. . . that is “actually utilized,” . . .
. . . has a “powerful effect”!
He is urging them . . . that if they will just “step out in faith,” . . . (slowly) . . .
. . . “their faith” will have . . . “powerful results” . . .
. . . in helping them . . .
. . . to receive His Kingdom . . .
. . . and its power . . .
. . . into their lives!
(Pause)
What about . . . our faith?
When we examine ourselves . . . what do we find?
Have we also “listened” . . . to the words of Jesus . . . in this passage?
Could . . . our lives . . . be more of an example
. . . than we even thought possible?
When we determine . . . how we are going . . .
. . . to live our lives daily . . .
. . . are we thinking about others . . .
. . . we may influence?
(Pause)
Perhaps it is time for us . . . to consider . . . the “long term consequences” . . . of the way . . .
. . . we choose to live our life.
(Pause)
Jesus says that . . . we need to begin . . . with just a “small portion” . . . of faith.
The Scripture indicates that . . . “reliance upon God” . . . “to do what He says He will do” . . .
. . . can be very powerful!
(Long pause)
The second thing Jesus is teaching His disciples in this passage . . . is about “attitudes.”
He is telling them . . . that although they
may have “faith,”
. . . and do “good works,” . . . (slowly) . . .
. . . they must maintain . . .
. . . the “attitude of a servant.”
Jesus says, “Who among you would say to your servant
. . . who has just come in . . .
. . . from “plowing or tending sheep” . . .
. . . in the field, . . .
. . . “Come here immediately, . . .
. . . and take your place at the table?”
“Would he not, rather, . . . say to him, . . .
. . . ‘Prepare something for me to eat!
. . . Put on your apron . . . and wait on me . . .
. . . while I eat and drink.’
. . . “You may eat and drink . . .
. . . when I am finished!”
Jesus says that . . . “when you have done all you have been commanded [to do], say: . . .
“we are ‘unprofitable servants’; . . .
. . . we have done . . .
. . . what we were ‘obliged’ to do.”
This is “just the opposite” . . . of a “self-righteous, haughty attitude”!
(Pause)
For the apostles . . . the lesson here is that they must labor . . . in the service of God . . .
. . . in a spirit of humility . . .
. . . just like the servant here . . .
. . . who does not think . . .
. . . he has done . . .
. . . anything “extraordinary.”
Can we see the connection . . . between the two examples . . .. . . Jesus has given?
(Pause)
On the one hand, . . . Jesus has given the disciples a “formula” . . .
. . . to exercise their faith,
. . . no matter “how small” it seems, . . .
. . . which will make them . . .
. . . more “Spiritually powerful.”
On the other hand, . . . He is teaching them . . .
. . . a strong message . . .
. . . on “serving others.”
In First Corinthians (chapter 13), . . . Saint Paul gives us an answer, . . .
. . . which provides a “bridge” . . .
. . . to put the teachings of this lesson . . .
. . . in perspective!
Paul says: . . . “If I have all faith . . . so as to “move mountains” . . . (slowly) . . .
. . . but . . . do not have love, . . . (pause) .
. . . I am nothing” (vs. 2b)!
Jesus is instructing His disciples . . . and us, today . . .. . . how to deal with the “successes” . . .
. . . which may come our way . . .
. . . as a result of “His blessing” . . .
. . . upon our lives.
We are not to have an “arrogant attitude” . . . but, rather, . . . a “humble attitude” . . .
. . . of “praise and thanksgiving” . . .
. . . for having . . .
. . . the “privilege and opportunity”
. . . to serve God.
(Pause) (The close)
Later, the Holy Spirit . . . is “poured out” . . . upon the apostles at Pentecost.
After that time, . . . these same apostles . . . who once “doubted their own faith” . . .
. . . become “bold and confident” . . .
. . . and are willing to . . .
. . . give their very lives . . .
. . . for what they believe!
(Pause)
The “mustard seed faith” of the disciples grew, . . . and
. . . the results were that . . .
. . . they were “successful” . . .
. . . in “preaching the Gospel” . . .
. . . to the world!
(Pause)
Like the disciples, . . . we can take an “honest look inside”
. . . and not be “discouraged” . . .
. . . at what we find, . . . (slowly) . . .
. . . knowing that what we find . . .
. . . is a “summons” . . .
. . . to rely upon God more completely
. . . and to follow His ways . . .
. . . and, knowing that . . .
. . . He will provide the strength . . .
. . . for us . . . to “do His will”!
We can know that we already have “enough faith,” . . .
. . . even “faith the size of a mustard seed,”
. . . to meet every challenge!
We just need to “act” . . .
. . . on the “faith” . . .
. . . that “we already have”!
And, then, . . . because of the “example of Christ” . . . who “died on the Cross” for us . . .
. . . we can conduct ourselves . . . with a “servant attitude,” . . .
. . . replacing any “false pride” . . . with “praise and thanksgiving” . . .
. . . (nod or point upward) . . .
. . . to the One . . .
. . . who makes . . .
. . . the “Gift of faith” possible!
With the servant, in this story, . . . we can also say, . . .
. . . “I am an ‘unprofitable servant’; . . .
. . . I have done . . .
. . . what I was ‘obliged’ to do.”
(Long Pause)
So, Jesus is telling us today . . . that we must “boldly step out in faith” . . .
. . . and“ view the results” with “humility” . . .
. . . with “the heart of a servant”!
(Pause)
Thanks be to God . . . who gives us the victory . . . through our Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:57)!Amen.
Word Count: 1,267
Reading Format
#45– A Servant Attitude
Luke 17:5-10
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you (II Corinthians 13:13).
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke:
And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.
The Lord replied, If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'
The Gospel of the Lord.
In today’s reading, there are two important truths that are presented:
First, the disciples are told that faith, the size of a mustard seed, is all they need to move mountains.
Then, Jesus tells them that in the service of God, they must labor with selfless humility, and conduct themselves with a servant attitude.
To fully understand the first part of this story, it is important that we review the serious conversation Jesus has been having with His disciples.
In the verses immediately before today’s lesson, Jesus has just told His disciples: “Don’t you tempt my little ones to sin!”
Jesus is telling His disciples, in no uncertain terms, to take sin seriously, especially the sin that is likely to cause someone to stumble.
This is a wake-up call!
Jesus wants to warn them that setting a bad example for new believers might send them off in the wrong direction, because, their personal reliance upon God has not yet had time to mature.He wants His disciples to understand that besides themselves, they have someone else to consider when they decide how they are going to live their lives!
So, Jesus continues His warning to the disciples: “It would be better for one, if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin” (vs. 2)!
Then, Jesus tells them: “Rebuke your brother if he sins against you. Then, if he tells you ‘he is sorry,’ ‘forgive’ and keep on going, and repeat the cycle over and over again, even seven times a day, as long as it takes for him to get it right!”
This reminds us of a story in Matthew (chapter 18):
“Peter approaching, asks him, Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him, as many as seven times?
“Jesus answers: I say to you, not ‘seven’ times, but, ‘seventy-seven’ times” (vss. 18-19)!
So, the apostles, seeing the enormous assignment, suddenly look inside themselves!
They quickly evaluate themselves, to see whether or not they have what it takes to obey what Jesus has just asked them to do! In desperation, and with great passion, they plead, “Lord, increase our faith!”
The disciples could very well be thinking: “Jesus, we have ‘examined ourselves,’ and, to do the things you ask of us, the kind of strong faith and character that we need, is missing in our lives!
“We are not living the kind of life you are talking about, and we certainly don’t want to have to rebuke our brother just to have him come back and do the same bad things over and over again!
Jesus responds: “If you have faith the size of a ‘tiny mustard seed,’ you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘be uprooted,’ and ‘be planted’ in the sea, and, this tree will obey you!”
Jesus is saying that even a small, a very small amount of faith that is actually utilized, has a powerful effect!
He is urging them that if they will just step out in faith, their faith will have powerful results, in helping them to receive His Kingdom and its power into their lives!
What about our faith?
When we examine ourselves what do we find?
Have we also listened to the words of Jesus in this passage?
Could our lives be more of an example than we even thought possible? When we determine how we are going to live our lives daily are we thinking about others we may influence? Perhaps it is time for us to consider the long-term consequences of the way we choose to live our life.
Jesus says that we need to begin with just a small portion of faith. The Scripture indicates that reliance upon God to do what He says He will do, can be very powerful!
The second thing Jesus is teaching His disciples in this passage is about attitudes. He is telling them that although they may have faith and do good works, they must maintain the attitude of a “servant.”
Jesus says, “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately, and take your place at the table?’
“Would he not, rather, say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat! Put on your apron, and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’! ”
Jesus says that “when you have done all you have been commanded [to do], say: ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
This is just the opposite of a self-righteous, haughty attitude!
For the apostles, the lesson here is that they must labor in the service of God in a spirit of humility, just like the servant here who does not think he has done anything extraordinary.
Can we see the connection between the two examples Jesus has given?
On the one hand, Jesus has given the disciples a formula to exercise their faith, no matter how small it seems, which will make them more Spiritually powerful. On the other hand, He is teaching them a strong message on serving others.
In First Corinthians (chapter 13), Saint Paul gives us an answer, which provides a “bridge” to put the teachings of this lesson in perspective!
Paul says: “If I have all faith, so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing” (vs. 2b)!
Jesus is instructing His disciples, and us, today, how to deal with the successes which may come our way as a result of His blessing upon our lives.
We are not to have an arrogant attitude, but, rather, a humble attitude of praise and thanksgiving for having the privilege and opportunity to serve God.
Later, the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). After that time, these same apostles, who once doubted their own faith, become bold and confident and are willing to give their very lives for what they believe!
The mustard seed faith of the disciples grew, and the results were that they were successful in preaching the Gospel to the world!
Like the disciples, we can take an honest look inside ourselves and not be discouraged at what we find, knowing that what we find is a summons to rely upon God more completely and to follow His ways, knowing that He will provide the strength for us to do His will!
We can know that we already have enough faith, even faith the size of a mustard seed, to meet every challenge!
We just need to act on the faith that we already have!
And, then, because of the example of Christ who died on the Cross for us, we can conduct ourselves with a servant attitude, replacing any false pride with praise and thanksgiving to the One who makes the Gift of faith possible!
With the servant, in this story, we can also say, I am an ‘unprofitable servant’; I have done what I was ‘obliged’ to do.
So, Jesus is telling us today that we must boldly step out in faith and view the results with humility, with the heart of a servant!
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:57).
Amen.
Word Count: 1,267
